Custom Tin Tie Coffee Bags

Linings and Valves for Custom Tin Tie Coffee Bags

The paper outside is what customers see, but the lining is what protects the contents. A thin greaseproof or glassine liner is enough for tea, sweets and biscuits; the board and card types guide covers the paper weights outside. Coffee is more demanding, because its oils mark plain paper and its aroma fades quickly, so most roasters choose a foil or film lining that holds the oils in and slows the loss of flavour.

Freshly roasted beans keep releasing carbon dioxide for days after roasting. If they are packed straight away, a one-way degassing valve stops the bag from swelling while keeping outside air from getting in. The valve is a small round fitting on the front or back panel and is worth adding for whole bean coffee that is bagged on roast day.

Ground coffee releases far less gas, so many roasters skip the valve on those bags and rely on the lining and the tin tie alone. If you are unsure, tell us how soon after roasting you bag your coffee and we will recommend the right build.

Sizes Matched to What You Weigh Out

Bag size depends on the weight and the density of what goes inside, and coffee is the trickiest example. Whole beans take up more space than ground coffee of the same weight, and a dark roast is lighter and bulkier than a light one, so follow the guide to measuring your product by volume. A bag that holds 250 g of a medium roast comfortably may be tight with a dark roast.

The sensible approach is to fill a sample bag with your actual product before ordering. Leave enough space at the top for three rolls of the tie, around 50 mm, otherwise the bag will not close neatly. If you sell several weights, keep the bag width the same across the range and change only the height, so the shelf looks tidy and labels fit every size.

Width also affects how the bag behaves on a shelf. A wider base with a deeper gusset stands up more reliably once the top is rolled down, while a tall, narrow bag can topple when half empty. For retail display, a bag that is roughly twice as tall as it is wide tends to look balanced and stay upright.

If you supply cafés as well as home customers, the larger wholesale bags rarely need the same print finish. A plain kraft bag with a simple label is often enough for trade customers, and it keeps your printed stock for the retail shelf where it does the most work.

Printing, Labels and Window Panels

Kraft paper with a one or two-colour print is the most common look, partly because it suits the handmade feel of a small roaster. White paper takes full-colour artwork better, which is the right choice if your branding uses photography or bright colours; the print and finish options compared page shows both.

Many roasters print a fixed design on the bag and add a small label for each origin or blend. It means one print run covers the whole range, and you can swap coffees as new origins arrive without reprinting packaging. Leave a clear panel in the artwork for that label, with space for roast date and tasting notes.

A narrow window on the front panel shows off whole beans or colourful tea blends. Windows suit products that look good, but they reduce the light protection, so for coffee meant to sit on a shelf for a while, a fully printed bag keeps it fresher.

Filling and Closing on a Busy Day

Tin tie bags arrive flat and open out with a gusseted base. A wide scoop or funnel makes filling quicker, and a small bench scale next to the bags speeds up weighing, with printed coffee bag labels ready for the origin. Once filled, fold the top over a couple of times, press the tie flat and fold the ends back. That is the closed bag the customer sees.

For a sealed first opening, some roasters heat seal the top above the tie and ask customers to cut it off on first use, then use the tie from then on. Others add a printed sticker across the fold as a simple tamper seal. Both approaches work, so choose the one that fits your packing routine.

Fill a Bag With Your Darkest Roast and Check the Fold-Down

Tin tie bags close by rolling the top, so the test is the fold. Weigh 250 g of your darkest, bulkiest roast into a plain bag of the size you have in mind and see whether about 50 mm of paper is left above the beans; that is what two or three rolls of the top need, and a bag that is right for a light roast runs short on a dark one. Decide whether beans go in fresh, which calls for a valve, or rested, which does not, and whether tea and sweets lines can use a cheaper glassine liner instead of foil.

Tell us what you are packing, the fill weights, any lining or valve and how you want the bag printed, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, printed bags from £0.25 each depending on size and build, minimums quoted per job. A free design proof shows the artwork on every panel. Bags are made in 4 to 7 working days after approval and reach UK mainland addresses on free tracked delivery in 2 to 3 working days. Roasters who sell by post usually add letterbox coffee boxes sized to the flat bag.